If you are recently engaged, you have probably spent a considerable amount of time looking through photography sites. It can be addictive!! You want to make sure that you hire the right person. After all, these photos will hang on your walls for the rest of your life!

When photographers are quoting you pricing, there are usually options for albums and engagement sessions. Wondering what to do? Well, let start with engagement sessions. Should you have an engagement shoot? Our vote is yes! Let us tell you why!

1. Get comfortable- If you are someone who hates having your photo taken, then you might think that this makes no sense. However, you are exactly who needs this! Spending an afternoon taking photos with your fiancee and your photographer before the big day will help you relax a bit, and get more comfortable with the person behind the camera. That, I guarantee you, will produce better photos on the wedding day! You will look your best when you are relaxed and comfortable!

2. Learn from Mariah- Mariah Carey famously would not let her left side be photographed for years, and would force her "good side" on every photographer. Now, that is a bit excessive! Yet, there are certainly ways and angeles that we all like. Well, think of the engagement session as a way for your photographer to figure that out! What works best? How do they get you to look your best? Your engagement session is a perfect way for them to perfect photographing the two of you!

3. Fabulous photos in everyday attire - I once went to a house filled with photos of the couple on their wedding day...and only of them on that day. It was almost like they had met on their day and decided to spontaneously walk down the aisle! I get how this happens. You look your best that day, so it is so tempting to swap out some of your other shots with wedding photos! Well, this gives you a chance to have amazing photos of the two of you...in regular clothes. Now you won't have to search for a photo to send to the New York Times!!

I'll leave you with engagement session eye candy! This is Dina & Evan, photographed by Laffler Photography in Central Park. They were so fabulous that it made me excited to see photos of their wedding at Angel Orensanz this past September!